God on the Spot – Part 9: Fulfilling the Prophecies

By Dianne Butts –

There has been silence from God for four hundred years.

As we have seen through the first eight parts of this “God on the Spot” series, God has made many promises, including to bring the Messiah through Abraham’s bloodline, then narrowing down that branch of the family tree to King David’s line.

God made other promises as well: that Messiah would be born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, with a mysterious star, be called “God with us,” and more.

Centuries have passed. When will God honor His promises? And perhaps more importantly, how will people know who His promised Messiah is? How can they (and we) recognize Him?

The answer: The Messiah is the one who fulfills all of God’s promises. That’s why God gave all those promises (prophecies) in the first place: so we could recognize Him when He came.

Every last one of God’s promises, predictions and prophecies must be fulfilled. If they aren’t, what would that mean? God was wrong? God lied? God couldn’t pull it off? If God is all-knowing (meaning He can’t be wrong), and if there is no shadow of darkness in Him (meaning He can’t lie), and if He is all-powerful (meaning He can pull off anything He wants), then every single statement God has made about Messiah must come true. Without exception. 100%. Or else either God is not God, or the one we’re looking at isn’t the Messiah. So, let’s recap God’s promises and see if they are fulfilled:

Messiah would come from the bloodline of Abraham and then David:

Do you ever get bored reading all those “so-and-so was the father of so-and-so” passages in the Bible? When you read the Christmas story, do you skip over Matthew 1:1-17? In Luke, do your eyes glaze over when you hit 3:23-38? Well wake up! This is the very reason genealogies are recorded in the Bible! If God promised Messiah would come through the bloodline of Abraham and then David, then bloodlines had to be traced in order to know who qualified! Or if someone claimed to be the promised Messiah, then the first order of business would be to check his ancestry to see if he fulfilled this prophecy. Matthew and Luke trace Jesus’ genealogy to verify that He qualifies.

Having established His bloodline, the other prophecies given in the Old Testament (at least four hundred years prior to His birth) must be checked as well. There are so many, we don’t have enough room to cover them all here, but here are some:

He would be born of a virgin: Prophesized: Isaiah 7:14. Fulfilled: Luke 1:31-35.

He would be called “God with us”: Prophesized: Isaiah 7:14. Fulfilled: Matthew 1:21-23.

He would be born in Bethlehem: Prophesized: Micah 5:2. Fulfilled: Luke 2:4-7.

There would be a mysterious star: Prophesized: Numbers 24:17. Fulfilled: Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10.

When Herod tried to kill this newborn king, it was God on the spot to protect the life of the infant Jesus, which He did by two dreams: one sent the Magi home without returning to Herod (Matthew 2:12) and the other warned Joseph to flee (Matthew 2:13-17).

When God made promises about the Messiah He would send, He was putting Himself on the spot to fulfill every one of them—and He did.

October: “God on the Spot – Part 10: Providing the Sacrifice.” When Satan connived to have Messiah killed, it was God on the spot to preserve life through His death—Messiah’s life as well as the eternal lives of all who would be redeemed by it.

Dianne has written for over 50 Christian print magazines and seventeen books, including the recently released For God So Loved the World He Created Chocolate (Group, 2010). Her work has appeared in Great Britain, Bulgaria, Poland, Canada, and Korea. When she’s not writing, she enjoys riding her motorcycle with her husband, Hal, and gardening with her cat, P.C. in Colorado. www.DianneEButts.com www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com

Like a Sitting…Turkey

By Robin Steinweg –

On a rare, unhurried drive, I approached a corn field lying fallow just outside of town. I saw birds sitting in the middle of the field. Bigger than crows. Got to be turkeys. The car drew closer. Wrong shape for turkeys. What in the world…

No, it can’t be.

Eagles??

I grew up admiring eagles. They nested in the bluffs east of my house and flew daily right overhead, anticipating the sun’s path west to the Wisconsin River bordering our property. Sometimes their vast wings pumped the wind. Other times they soared, motionless, carried on invisible currents to the fishy depths over which they reigned. They scanned the open waters below the dam from the trees on Lookout Island, just off our beach. I saw them as majestic but fearsome creatures. We never let our dog’s puppies wander, in fear one might become a side dish for a walleye entree.

But this debacle threatened a collapse of all I’d thought of them. I was so disturbed I stopped the car and rolled down the window.

“You are eagles. Eagles don’t sit on the ground. You’re making a spectacle of yourselves, and it’s not a pretty sight. You’re giving eagles a bad name. Get up and soar! Get off the ground, you look like turkeys!”

We won’t say what I looked like, on a deserted road talking to grounded eagles. But it got me thinking about my life. Am I sitting like a turkey in an abandoned field watching for grubs when I should be soaring on the currents of my Master’s love, publishing His glory?

QUOTE: Reuben Morgan, Hillsong Publishing, “Come live in me; all my life take over. Come breathe in me and I will rise on eagle’s wings.”

“…I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God” (Deuteronomy 32:3 KJV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

There’s Strength in Numbers

By Julie Morris –

If you have been in a Christian weight-loss group, you already know. If you’re just getting ready to join, you are about to find out first-hand: It will be life-changing! With the help of your group, you’ll be able to do things you would never be able to do alone. There is strength in numbers.

Do you know why?

In your group, you have friends who love you unconditionally. They won’t judge you, give unwanted advice or talk about you behind your back. They are like the family you may have never experienced. They encourage you to make healthy life-style changes even when it’s hard and you want to give up.

That’s why God exhorts us to get together with others when he says: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25 NIV).

You have two very important things in common with others in your group: a problem with food, and a desire to get to know God better. You don’t have to pretend with each other. You have hidden your hurts, but now you can relax. You’re among friends. It’s a relief to find others who think the same way you do, have struggled with the same things and have made the same mistakes.

You come from all denominations, different backgrounds and various ages. It doesn’t matter. When you relate without masks, you understand each other. When you walk in someone’s shoes, you know them and appreciate them. When you look at life through their eyes, you are able to see your own better.

Your goal is not just to lose weight, it’s to draw closer to God and become more like the person you’ve always wanted to be.

In Christian weight-loss groups, growth is contagious! You inspire each other. You see how God has helped those in the group and what they are doing to know him better, and your faith grows. You hear yourself say, “If they can do it, so can I!” You want to change, and, because you have a mighty God and the encouragement of your group, you know you can.

The love in Christian weight-loss groups is a real example of Christian community. You listen, empathize, pray for and help each other. You don’t take responsibility to “fix” each other or carry other members’ burdens because you know you have a wonderful God who is far better able to do that. You care about each other and share what God is doing in your lives. You study His Word together and confess your weaknesses to each other. And, together, you recognize choices where you thought you had no choice. You grow and learn and face the future with a new sense of expectancy because the love and acceptance in you group free you up from things that have held you prisoner.

There’s something else special about each Christian weight-loss group: it’s a safe place. Because you don’t judge each other and are careful with confidentiality, you can be yourselves, take off your masks, be honest about your mistakes–both accidental and premeditated–and no one will criticize you or gossip about you. Even better, no one will make you feel guilty or (heaven forbid) lecture you. You are loved and accepted just as you are.

Now that fall is in the air, why don’t you consider joining a weight-loss group or even starting your own? There are many groups available to choose from. What do you have to lose… besides extra pounds!

Julie Morris (julie@guidedbyhim.com) is the author of 12 books and founder of two Christian weight-loss programs: Step Forward (www.stepforwarddiet.com) and a lighter and easier version of Step Forward, Guided By Him (www.guidedbyhim.com).

In Wisdom and in Truth

By Cheri Cowell –

Balancing the desire to be honest and truthful with our need to be compassionate and sensitive is a difficult bill to fill. I loved the Jim Carey movie Liar, Liar. I’m not usually a Jim Carey fan, but this movie was wonderful. He played a high power lawyer who for one day, because of his son’s birthday wish, could not tell a lie. There is one hilarious scene after another as he makes his way into the office. First, while in the elevator he encounters a voluptuous woman and honestly makes a comment that gets him smacked, he then passes a receptionist who asks if he likes her new hairdo, and finally he is honest with his receptionist about cheating her out of a raise. The movie is funny, but it raises some serious questions. Is this what God meant when He told us to always be truthful? Well, we are to be honest, but we do need wisdom for the appropriate time and manner to deliver the truth.

The scribes and Pharisees had set Jesus up in a trap. If He condemned the woman before Him, He would not be showing mercy; but if He did not allow the stoning, He would have broken temple law. But they didn’t realize they were dealing with the One in who grace and truth are perfectly blended into wisdom.

PRAYER: I praise You for Your perfect wisdom, mercy and grace. My heart’s desire is always to be truthful and at the same time be wise. Thank You for standing ready to share Your perfect wisdom with me, whenever I may need it.

“Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in asking Him, He stood up straight and replied, ‘Whoever among you is guiltless may be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then He bent over again and wrote on the ground. Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up straight and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She replied, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore’” (John 8:9-11 NET).

Today’s devotion is by Cheri Cowell, who writes and speaks on topics of Christian discipleship. In addition to her books and articles, you can learn about her speaking ministry and sign up to receive her daily devotional at www.CheriCowell.com

Back to School—at Last!

By Kathi Macias –

How many of you remember the ad where the father is skipping through the office supply store, joyfully tossing paper and pens and erasers into his basket, while his two dejected children shuffle along behind, looking like they just lost their best friend? The reason for the father’s glee? He’s buying supplies to send his little darlings back to school!

Any moms (or dads) out there who can relate? It’s been a long time since my kids lived at home; they have long-since moved on to establish their own families so they too can experience the fun and excitement of summer vacations from a parent’s point of view. (Sort of gives the term “payback” a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?)

Seriously, though, despite the fact that it’s been years (decades!) since I attended a PTA meeting or served as a room mother, I haven’t forgotten those LONG summer days when all my normal routines came to a screeching halt and I spent all my waking hours cooking frozen pizzas and zipping to the store to replace the ice cream supply. I felt as if I’d had a productive day if I had time to brush my teeth and zoom through the shower! Forget doing anything with my hair. It was just sort of…there.

I think it was sometime during my youngest child’s last couple of years before entering junior high that things changed—or, at least, I developed a new perspective on the entire issue. I only wish I’d figured it out sooner because this new perspective finally enabled me to enjoy the last few summers I had before my offspring flew the coop and I was left to contemplate the “empty nest syndrome” (not all of which is a bad thing, I might add!). Some of you may be at that place right now, looking much like the bouncing-with-joy father in the school supplies ad and rejoicing that you’ve survived (or very nearly so) yet another summer vacation with the kids home from school. If that describes where you are today, I hope this little poem that I wrote some twenty or more years ago will encourage you to treasure however many summers you have left with your children, as wild and exhausting as those brief seasons of life may be!

“Summer’s Gone”

Feet stuck to the floor from Popsicle drips,
Planning and packing for family trips;
So many dishes in the sink—
Must they use a clean glass for every drink?
I just can’t take much more of this noise!
Why can’t they ever pick up their toys?
The slamming door, the ringing phone—
If only I could be alone!

Then suddenly it’s time for school;
No more beach or swimming pool.
Off they go, down the street,
Sounds of laughter and running feet.
A sigh of relief… but wait! What’s this?
A tear in my eye as I blow them a kiss!
Oh, Lord, it seemed to go so fast.
These special times just never last.

Teach me, Father, to value each day,
To live, to love, to laugh…to play.

Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com; http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com) is an “occasional radio show host” (www.blogtalkradio.com/communicatethevision) and an award-winning author of more than thirty books, including her September 2010 release from Abingdon Press, Valeria’s Cross.

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